Through My Eyes
by Sweetberry771
Summary: Charlie Baxter is a 14 year old girl living with her relatives in Wolfsberg. Her friend, Dragomir has recently died. Just as her cousin, Goran falls in love with Jordan, Charlie falls in love with Hunter. Soon Jordan is cursed like Dragomir was and the curse is even stronger in Hunter. Charlie becomes determined to keep her crush. Hunter/OC. I own unfamiliar content. Enjoy!
1. Intro and First Encounter

Let me introduce myself. My name is Charlie Baxter. My real name's Charlotte but I insist you call me Charlie. Before you ask, I'm not a tomboy; I just hate my birth name – Charlie sounds much better, in my opinion. I'm your average 14 year old girl, small and wiry but smart and tough. As you can see, I always have a red shirt on, it matches my mane of red, tousled hair. Go ahead and call me Little Red Riding Hood, I don't care. And yep, my eyes are hazel. I'm a freak, I know. But it gets worse. At least that's what my Uncle Vali would say.

I never thought I'd be grateful to be myself. It started out as a typical Spring morning, a few days before the Midnight Mania festival...

I left Uncle Vali's shop bright and early, the morning papers were in my leather mailbag as I grabbed it from the door, waving to my 18 year old cousin Goran and Auntie Violeta as I left.

I knew the quiet town of Wolfsberg well. I wasn't born here, I was actually born in Monte Carla. I've lived here since my parents died and Uncle Vali, my father's older brother took me in. Technically I'm Half-Romanian, Half-American. Cool, innit? That was 10 years ago. I just turned 14 two weeks ago; I spent my birthday at Wolfsberg Manor. I started on my paper rounds. Most girls use bikes, I prefer to walk.

I got the usual, blunt responses from the townspeople. 'Thanks. Bye' they always say. They can't understand that I'm close with the Master of Wolfsberg Manor, Dragomir Ducovic. Oh, and his housekeeper, Madame Varcolac. Before you ask, yes, a wolf howled just now. It happens every time you say 'Varcolac' See what I mean? She may be steely and strange at first but she's actually a lovely, caring woman. Not many people are willing to get to know her like I did for the past four years. She also doesn't mind if I call her 'Madam V' then the wolves won't howl, it sometimes bothers her.

I don't mind hearing the wolves howling though, I love wolves to bits, I think they are God's greatest creations. They're brave, beautiful, stealthy, loyal, intelligent and protective. I adore werewolves too; Dragomir's a bloodline werewolf and he saved my life when I was only 10. We've been close ever since he killed the vampire that attacked me. He's like a dad to me. I have a lot to say about Dragomir.

Dragomir is a kind gentleman and humanitarian. He has a niece, Katrina who lives in America, I'm not sure if she has kids. He also invented karaoke. It's true, he did! He let me and Madame Varcolac use the karaoke machine from time to time as a way to chill out; he says I have a great voice. He sought out a way to find a cure for the werewolf curse; he didn't want others to suffer the way he did and believed they deserved to have a choice. That's how kind he is. He knows I'm not a werewolf but says that the gene is buried skin-deep in my DNA which will be active in my kid when I find my true love, as long as the guy is a bloodline werewolf. But that would be hard; no guy can love me for me.

I smiled when I saw Wolfsberg Manor and jogged up to the front door. No matter how busy they are, Dragomir and Madame Varcolac always make me feel at home. I knocked on the familiar reddish brown door. I couldn't wait to tell Dragomir that the Midnight Mania festival was coming up and I look forward to it, as it is held in his honour. I always spend the festival at the Manor where me and Madame Varcolac would drink hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, waiting to hear Dragomir's spine-chilling howl echo over the town into the night as he tells the vampires to bugger off and stay away from Wolfsberg.

But Dragomir didn't answer the door. Neither did Madame Varcolac. A boy around my age answered the door instead. Some of his dark brown hair stuck out. His dark, intense eyes stared straight into my hazel eyes. I blushed._ No one looks at me like that. Who is he? _He was dressed in a regular dark grey t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. My face was as red as my hair by now. _Don't blame me, he was kinda cute! You would blush too if you saw him._ I handed him the paper. "Um, h-here. B-bye" I stuttered, running off.

_If that boy lives there, then what happened to Dragomir? Is Dragomir ill or worse, dead?_

Hunter's POV:

I blinked when the girl ran off. Was it something I did? I noticed she had long, wavy red hair. Her eyes were a rich hazel. Her red blouse and jeans flattered her figure. Her sneakers were black. I saw she had a leather bag with rolled up papers in it. "What was that all about?" I muttered, closing the door.

I walked into the dining room and handed the paper to my dad. "Thanks, Hunter" Dad merely stated and started reading the first section. My older sister, Jordan glared at me from behind her long brown hair as I sat next to her. I glared back, eating the meat.

Madame Varcolac took notice of the morning paper. "Oh, Charlie must've been. I wonder why she didn't come in to talk to me, she usually does" she pondered in her Romanian accent.

"Goran told me he has a cousin called Charlie. He never said Charlie was a girl" Jordan exclaimed.

"Yes, she's lived in Wolfsberg since her parents died. She and your Uncle Dragomir were close, like family" Varcolac confirmed.

"When I answered the door earlier, she just handed me the paper and left" I remarked.

"What did you say to her, boy?" Madame Varcolac asked in a accusing tone.

"I didn't say anything! I just looked at her and she ran off!" I argued.

"Charlie was always close to Master Dragomir, she always made time for us. Unless..." I heard her mutter.

"Unless what?" I asked.


	2. In the Park and Realisation

Madame Varcolac's POV:

Now I understand. Charlie was close with Master Dragomir for a reason neither of us had considered, not even Master Dragomir. Charlie was meant for someone in his bloodline. But Charlie acts a certain way around boys her own age; she runs away. No one she falls in love has ever loved her back. Because she was always meant to be Hunter's. If only he is a bloodline werewolf. I would know for sure if he shows signs and/or sentimental, protective feelings for Charlie.

Hunter's POV:

"Unless what?!" I repeated when Madame Varcolac didn't reply.

"Nothing" Madame Varcolac replied.

After breakfast, Jordan and I went out to explore Wolfsberg. My sister was acting different. And not in a good way. She was babbling about how she loved the costumes, the colours, the sounds, the people and the smells of Wolfsberg. Her senses had heightened overnight. To see her race for the park and play in the grass with the dogs was weird. Ever though she's allergic to almost everything. It was as if her allergies had also disappeared overnight.

Across the park, I caught sight of the girl who had delivered the paper this morning. She was standing under a tree, looking up at the green leaves and leaning on the bark. I felt something squirm inside me. It was familiar to what I had felt when I first saw her. _I couldn't help it, she looked so friggin' cute._ She looked up and caught me staring. She left. "Was it something I did?" I asked myself aloud.

"Knowing you, it probably was" Jordan taunted, she had seen the whole thing.

"Hey" I said, offended by the comment. Jordan saw Goran and ran over to him. The girl was with him. I followed.

Charlie's POV:

"Goran!" a mature feminine voice called. I turned to see the girl Goran was talking about yesterday run toward us.

Following behind her was the boy I saw earlier. _Don't tell me she's his sister!_ I gulped as they approached. Goran suddenly catapulted off his bike and into a bush the moment the girl called his name, it was like something from a Charlie Chaplin skit. Yeah, it was that comical. Not for me, it was embarrassing. _Why wouldn't I be embarrassed? He's my blood relative after all._ "Goran, you stupid klutz! Jeez!" I remarked. The girl ran over to us and offered my cousin a hand, pulling him up with ease. _This is the girl he described as awkward, shy and sweet?_

"Jordan. You are very strong" he replied with uncertainty.

"Thanks" she replied enthusiastically, smiling.

I rolled my eyes at Jordan's attempts to flirt with my cousin. Mind you, I've seen some other girls attempts to flirt with my cousin throughout the years, theirs failed miserably. With Jordan, it seemed natural. Her brother kept staring at me, suddenly making me self-conscious. "I-I'm Charlie Baxter" I introduced myself, scratching the back of my head.

"Hunter" he replied.

I looked at him, confused. "What?" I asked. _What sort of name is Hunter? Doesn't hunter mean the same as someone or something that has to search for prey?_

"That's my name, Hunter Sands. I'm Dragomir's Great Nephew" He explained.

"O-oh" I remarked. _So his family are here on a matter of inheritance. But that means Dragomir's dead. Who will protect Wolfsberg Manor now? What would Wolfsberg be without the Wolfsberg Beast?_ I tried to zone into my thoughts to mull it over but I couldn't; Hunter's intense stare was stopping me. It didn't help that he was cute. _Does cute even begin to describe Hunter? He is the most extraordinary guy I have ever met and no other words describe him. Even his name is interesting._ I looked away, blushing harder.

When Goran and Jordan had finished arranging a date for tonight, he got on his bike and carried on in the direction of his delivery. I forced myself to meet Hunter's dark, intense eyes, my heart was pounding and my blush darkened. "See you around, Charlie" he said.

"Um, y-yeah. S-see you later, H-hunter" I stammered, following my cousin. I couldn't help it, I become a stuttering mess around guys my age. _Holy shrimp, It's happened again, hasn't it?_

Jordan's POV:

I adjusted my glasses as Goran and Charlie walked away. I realised that my eyesight was much clearer without them. Strange. They never were before. Hmm. I caught Hunter pulling a face in disgust. "What? He's cute" I remarked.

"He's a butcher!" Hunter stated.

"So? You couldn't keep your eyes off his cousin. And she's the paper girl" I remarked. I had seen the way he had been looking at Charlie. It was the way Dad used to look at Mom when she was still alive. Yes, it had caused Charlie to turn a brighter red than the blouse she wore but not in an uncomfortable nature.

"That's different" Hunter replied. Then he turned bright red. "And I wasn't staring at Charlie!" he yelled defensively.

I knew he was lying. "Were too. I saw you. You've so got a crush on her, even though you just met her" I said.

"Well, she's cute. But I was making her nervous" he admitted.

I smiled. "It's okay to fall in love, Hunter" I told him as we walked back to the Manor. "Besides, she must really like you. She wouldn't have blushed like that if she didn't" Maybe she'll become Hunter's first serious girlfriend. How could a girl so small be such good friends with our uncle? And why does she connect with Hunter on a different level? How I know this stuff, I can strangely sense it.

"Yeah, but it's just like you said; I just met her" he remarked, looking away.

I knew there was something else. "But?" I pressed further.

"But I feel like I should know her" he admitted.

"Fair enough" I replied, walking ahead.

Hunter's POV

I can't believe I actually told Jordan the truth for once. _I never fall in love. So why now? And with a girl like Charlie. I barely know her but I feel like I should._ But that was weird for the both of us. I could practically hear Charlie's heart pounding out of control when I talked with her. How close was she to my uncle? And has she actually seen the 'Wolfsberg Beast' everyone keeps talking about? _Wait, how did I even know what she was thinking? Note to self: never read Charlie's mind._ But I wasn't even trying to read her mind. I feel weird around her. Whatever, I was never good at talking to girls. Maybe Charlie's not that good talking with guys.

Later, I was about to return to my room when I saw the breakfast platter sitting outside Jordan's door. I knocked. When she answered, I noticed the fur on her legs. I asked what was going on. She assured me everything was ok and that I should go talk with my friends or something. I ran to my room, logged onto my laptop and used Videochat to contact my two best friends. They told me Jordan was a werewolf, after I had told them the signs she showed. They explained she had three ways; be a bloodline werewolf, be bitten by one or be infected. That vial she stepped on the other day, it contained werewolf blood!

"I'm off!" Jordan called.

"Where's she off to?" one of my friends asked.

"I dunno, a dinner date?" I replied.

"Dude, no!" my other friend cried.

"What?" I asked.

"It's not a dinner date, her date is the dinner!" they both told me.


	3. Trouble Brewing and Charlie's Theory

Charlie's POV:

I had an uneasy feeling that Goran was making a huge mistake. Tonight I decided to follow him and Jordan on their date. I somehow knew that Jordan wasn't really confident, graceful or athletic like she was this afternoon. Something told me to monitor her actions; just in case she was cursed just like Dragomir had been.

_But, technically, wouldn't her brother be cursed? It would make sense, Katrina was Jordan and Hunter's mother and Dragomir left his estate to her family, it said so in his will. Plus Hunter's a boy and he's my age so he's most likely to be a bloodline werewolf. But he won't know what I'm talking about. There's also a chance he doesn't know about his heritage as a male in the Ducovic bloodline or Dragomir's legacy as the Wolfsberg Beast. But as long as he's here, living and breathing, then Wolfsberg Manor can't fall in the possession of those evil vampires._

I slipped through the alleyways like a cat through iron bars, following my cousin and my crush's older sister. I felt my body hit someone else's. I glanced to see Hunter. "O-oh, H-hi Hunter. I always seem to be running into you, aren't I?" I stammered, going red in the face.

"Oh, yeah" he agreed.

"You're worried Jordan's gonna do something?" I asked.

Hunter nodded. "I'm guessing that's why you're following them?" he guessed.

"Duh, he's my cousin" I pointed out. I realised that Hunter could help; he knew his sister like I knew my cousin. "Um, has Jordan been showing signs she's not herself?" I asked.

"Well, she's eating a lot of meat, even though she's a vegetarian, her allergies are gone, her senses are sharper and she has being acting completely different ever since she stepped on this vial of LB-217" he replied.

_Just as I thought, she become a werewolf when Dragomir's blood infected her own_.

"Why did you want to know?" he asked.

_I can't tell him, he'll think I'm crazy._ "I'm just curious" I lied.

Hunter's POV:

Charlie and I followed Jordan and Goran. _Why would I think she was crazy? She knows Jordan's a werewolf. God, what did I tell myself about reading her thoughts? I shouldn't be doing that but I can't help it that I always know what Charlie is thinking. That was weird_.

I tried to make sure she didn't hear my friends on the Videochat app on my phone asking questions about her. Like "Who the hell is that?" and "Can you trust her?"

Once Charlie was out of earshot, I glared at my friends on the phone screen. "Shut up, she's a local. I have to trust her, her cousin's about to become werewolf chow! And I think she knows about the Wolfsberg Beast!" I whispered harshly.

"What makes you so sure?" One of them asked.

"I can sense it in her, okay?!" I snapped.

"Ok, no need to be defensive" my other friend stated.

_Ok, that was really weird. Why did I get so defensive about Charlie like that? Since when did that happen?_

Charlie turned to me. "Hunter, are you coming or not?" she asked. I hung up on my friends, running to catch up with her. We continued to follow our targets.

Suddenly Jordan gently pushed Goran against a wall. "No!" Charlie and I cried.

They turned, Jordan was glaring at us whereas Goran looked confused as hell. Charlie and I exchanged shocked glances. "Hunter" Jordan growled.

"Charlie?" Goran asked.

"Um, what are you guys up to?" I asked.

Charlie gave me a 'WTF' look. "Are you kidding me? That's the best you can come up with?" she asked me in a low whisper.

"Well, we were having a romantic evening. Weren't we, Goran?" she remarked. Goran nodded in confusion. "That is until you two interrupted" she continued, her tone was dark. She walked over to us, glaring at me. "You're dead meat" she growled. She then jumped onto a roof and swung out of sight.

"Well, you don't see that every day" Charlie commented, trying to lighten the tension.

"Your sister is very hardcore" Goran told me in an uncertain tone.

"I gotta go. See you later, Charlie" I said to Charlie and rushed back to the Manor.

Charlie's POV:

_Now Hunter's acting weird. Does he know? Maybe he does, he's not that stupid for a boy._ I turned to Goran. "You fall for the strangest girls, you know that" I told him.

"What were you doing out with Jordan's brother?" he asked.

"I was showing him around, Goran. And his name's Hunter" I remarked. Goran gave me a 'WTF' look, similar to the one I gave Hunter earlier. "Relax, Hunter and I aren't dating or anything, we just met! Aww, you're no help" I exclaimed, running off.

The next morning I set off on paper rounds early. It felt like a typical day until I reached the Manor. I saw Madam Varcolac arguing with Jordan and Hunter's father. He looked like Jordan, meaning Hunter took after his mother.

I went round the back of the Manor. Jordan was perched in a tree, yelling at Hunter and blaming him for the werewolf curse that was on her. The two of them didn't seem to realise that I was here until I was standing directly behind Hunter. Jordan saw me first. Soon Hunter turned around to see me. I laughed at his shocked reaction.

"Do you always have to do that?!" he asked.

"Man, the look on your face was priceless. Now we're even" I remarked, handing him the paper that was in my hand. I glanced at Jordan. "By the way, Goran's still confused about last night and wants to know if you're ok" I told her. I turned back to Hunter. "Normally, I'd go talk to Madam Varcolac..." I said, pausing to let the wolf howl. "But since she's chewing out your dad, I may as well talk to you. What happened last night? Is something bothering you? You can tell me if you want, Hunter" I continued.

Hunter looked back at me with those intense eyes of his, making me blush like the last time he looked at me like that. "Why do you ask?" he asked.

"Because I can feel it in you. You have this heavy burden on your mind and if you don't try to solve it, it'll never get any better" I explained. I don't know how else to explain it. Then I realise something, for some reason I'm mentally connected to Hunter. Like Elliot and that alien in that film, E.T.

"They're more personal issues, don't worry about it" he remarked.

"Ok, hopefully I'll run into you again later, Hunter so see you" I said as cheerfully as I could, waving before heading on my way to finish my duty and return home. I stopped by Uncle Vali's shop to check on Goran, who seemed down. "You doing ok, cuz?" I asked.

"No, Charlie. I'm having trouble with Jordan. She seems too different to be the Jordan I fell in love with. Perhaps you can help me" he replied as he sorted the meat.

"Can't help you there, I'm having love troubles of my own" I told him.

"You're in love? Charlie, that's wonderful! We can help each other – you help me with Jordan and I can help you with this guy" he said, sounding more like himself.

"I don't think you can, it's something for Auntie Violeta to talk to about" I stated.

"You don't have to go to my mother, Charlie – we're in the same boat. Who is the guy?" he remarked.

"It's Hunter" I told him.

"Jordan's younger brother?" he asked.

I nodded. "I told you you might not be able to help me" I pointed out.

I left to return home. Auntie Violeta noticed the troubled look on my face. "Charlie, what is it?" she asked.

"I'm having boy trouble" I replied.

Auntie Violeta stopped her task then came to sit next to me. "Tell me" she requested.

"You know the girl Goran's fallen for?" I asked. Auntie nodded. "Well, it's her younger brother. I just feel so weird around him. My heart's always pounding, I can't stop blushing around him and he's all I can think about" I told her.

"What does he look like?" she asked. I launched into a full description of Hunter, not missing the intensity of his eyes or how much he resembled Dragomir. "Well, Charlie. The only thing I can tell you is get to know him for who he is on the inside and let him see you the way we do" she advised,

_Hmph! Some advice!_ "Thank you, Auntie" I replied. I then went up to my room to reflect on what had happened since I met Hunter Sands. Then I soon pieced it together, my suspicions were right after all – Hunter is a bloodline werewolf and like Dragomir, I can trust him.


	4. Grocery and the truth about Paulina

I must've spent an hour thinking because the house was quiet. I rushed downstairs to grab some quick lunch before going out. I went over to Uncle Vali's shop to kill time. I looked at the various treats and snacks I used to share with Dragomir and Madam Varcolac every Christmas, Halloween, every special occasion imaginable for the past four years. It triggered a memory I thought I had forgotten; when Dragomir told me the story of the first werewolf, Peter Ducovic.

_Flashback_

"_Charlie, do you know the story of the first bloodline werewolf?" Dragomir asked me. Madame Varcolac watched us warily._

_I blinked, almost spitting my hot chocolate onto my favourite jeans. "There was a first werewolf?" I asked._

"_There always is, Charlie. His mother was my ancestor, Valerie Ducovic. You know her by another name" he replied._

"_Little Red Riding Hood! But I always thought she was a child and the wolf hunted her" I gasped._

"_She was actually 16, Charlie. The wolf didn't hunt her out of hunger but out of desire" he told me._

"_Like Dracula?" I questioned._

"_No, the wolf protected Valerie and coveted her; Dracula sees all human women as prey. You're forgetting that I fought against the vampires to prevent them taking over the world and I killed the vampire that tried to kill you" Dragomir corrected._

"_Oh, right" I remarked._

"_The wolf had watched and loved Valerie Ducovic from afar for years. One day she had gotten lost in the woods. All the animals knew and respected Valerie. A bear attacked her. The wolf, furious that an animal would want to hurt her, fought and killed the bear then took Valerie to his cave. They became close; he protected her and cared for her, she taught him English and what makes us human. One thing led to another and Valerie gave birth to Peter Ducovic, the first werewolf. The wolf was lynched by the village for kidnapping Valerie. To protect her son, Valerie and Peter fled the village. She was nicknamed Little Red Riding Hood because of the red cloak she wore when she and Peter came to Wolfsberg on horseback. Peter grew up to have a family of his own; his son inherited his curse to turn into a werewolf at night" Dragomir continued._

"_And the bloodline led up to you and your sister" I finished._

"_Yeah, that's right, Charlie. But you forgot about my niece and her family" he pointed out._

"_Dragomir, What are Katrina and her kids like?" I asked._

"_Katrina is a smart, quirky, pretty woman, just like my sister. I've never met her kids though" he told me._

_I smiled. "I'd like to meet them one day" I replied._

"_You will one day, Charlie. I promise" he said, ruffling my hair._

_End of flashback_

"You kept your promise, I met Jordan and Hunter" I whispered. I took a few steps and bumped into Hunter, like I had thought I would.

"Charlie" Hunter greeted.

"Hunter. Getting ingredients for the werewolf cure?" I guessed.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"Dragomir trusted me with the secret" I told him. Madam Varcolac got us to put the ingredients into her basket. "I came here when my parents died 10 years ago. I was put in the care of my Uncle Vali and Aunt Violeta, my relatives from my father's side. When I was 10, I was exploring the woods at night and a rogue vampire ambushed me. Dragomir happened to be in the woods too. He killed the vampire and took me to Wolfsberg Manor to recover. He had been my friend and father figure ever since. I managed to befriend Madame Varcolac" I said, pausing to let the wolf howl. "It was a bummer that he died, he cared about me. No one I fall in love with ever loves me back; it's kinda my 'curse'." I continued sadly.

Hunter stared at me. "Charlie, how come you never told me about your rare gene?" he asked.

I stared back at him, the connection was definitely there. "You never asked me, Hunter" I replied.

"I'm asking now" he told me.

Hunter's POV:

What Charlie said made sense; she was friends with my uncle because he saved her. One thing confused me. Why? The moment between me and Charlie was interrupted.

_'My loneliness is killing me. And I, I must confess, I still believe, still believe. When I'm not with you, I lose my mind. Give me a sign. Hit me baby, one more time' _the lyrics to Britney Spears' song rang as Madam Varcolac fumbled for her phone. She found it and answered. She started talking quite fast. Charlie and I glanced at each other. Then she hung up. "That was your father. He'll be home late" she told me.

"Was that a Britney Spears ringtone?" I asked.

"Ja. She is werewolf you know" she replied.

"Well, that explains a lot" I said to Charlie.

"It's commonly missed out by the media that she was bitten by a werewolf as a child" she told me.

From the corner of our eyes, Charlie and I saw Jordan's hand turn into a paw. She quickly stuffed it in her hoodie pocket. "Oh no" we said in unison.

"It's not just the infection, its' her own genes" Charlie muttered.

"What?" I asked.

"Never mind" Charlie lied.

Madam Varcolac saw this. "Take your sister home, I'll finish up and meet you back at the Manor" she told us.

We ran out and bumped into Paulina, dad's happy-go-lucky blonde, real estate agent girlfriend. I had a bad feeling as she offered us a lift home to the Manor. She then told us she was a night person and asked if we were. "I'm not, she is" I remarked, Charlie and I were sat in the back.

Charlie shuddered. "I can't be around that woman without getting a bad gut feeling" she muttered.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Well, think about it. You never see her during the day, she doesn't eat a thing but looks nourished enough and she's bent on getting Wolfsberg Manor, Hunter. You of all people should know! What does that make her?" she whispered.

"A pushy real estate agent?" I whispered back.

Charlie's POV:

I frowned at Hunter's response. _How stupid can guys get?!_ Soon Paulina stopped the car. We all got out to see what was wrong. Vampires started to surround us. "This is so bad" I muttered, reminded of the memory of the vampire Dragomir saved me from.

"Uh, Paulina? There's a bunch of vampires surrounding us" Hunter informed her, I felt him take hold of my hand.

"Aw, sweetie" Paulina said in her falsetto tone, her sickly sweet smile disappeared. "Of course there is!" she snarled, I saw her eyes turn red and her sharp canine fangs were revealed. She was a vampire! She glared over at the two minions by her side. "You're late! I have dinner plans" she scolded them. That's why Varcolac had been arguing with Hunter's dad, Paulina was dating him to get the Manor then she could attempt world domination again!

Soon Hunter was able to put the pieces together. At least some of them. "You won't get away with it, Paulina!" he pointed out.

"'You won't get away with it, Paulina!' That's what your dear Dragomir said. Before I... well you know the rest" she revealed. I knew she had something to do with his murder! She then turned to me. "Little Charlotte. I can finally succeed what I tried a long time ago" she stated, smirking.

Hunter grew concerned. "Why do you want Charlie?" he asked.

"It's not Charlotte I want, it's that annoying gene she was born with. As long as she has it, I can never get Wolfsberg Manor" she revealed.

I frowned. "You're not getting the gene, Paulina!" I yelled.

"'You're not getting the gene, Paulina!'" she mocked me. "Funny. That's exactly what your parents said. Before I killed them. They were so brave to protect their baby but they were weak. It's so hard to find a human who can actually fight off a vampire" she bragged.

My eyes widened. She came after me before and my parents died to protect me! That was another reason she killed Dragomir, there'd be no one to protect me this time. "It was you?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT ME THOUGH?!" I yelled.

"Clever girl. Too bad you didn't realise sooner" she chided. The vampires stuffed the three of us; me, Hunter and a transforming Jordan, into a cab boot. We were squashed together.

End of Part One


	5. Charlie Vs Paulina and Hunter transforms

Part two

I knew one of the vampires was driving. "Hunter, Charlie, when the boot opens, make a run for it" Jordan remarked.

"Jordan.." Hunter and I began.

"I'll hold them off. You two have to get to dad" Jordan interrupted. Hunter and I nodded.

The car stopped and a vampire opened the trunk. Jordan leapt and attacked, Hunter and I escaped to find his dad. We ran into the only restaurant in Wolfsberg. Hunter dragged me over to interrupt his dad's date with Paulina. "Dad..." he started to explain the whole ordeal.

"Hunter, you're too old for this sort of thing" his dad remarked.

I frowned. _Some father!_

The waiter walked up to us. "Excuse me but you two will have to leave" he told us.

"You do nothing with garlic, right?" Hunter asked.

"And you're only open at night?" I asked.

"Na and ja" the waiter replied.

"See?" me and Hunter told his dad.

"That's enough" Mr Sands snapped. He turned to Paulina. "Sorry, Paulina. Mind if we end the date early? I need to take these two home" he said to her.

"Go ahead, I have some unfinished business to take care of anyway" she said in her falsetto tone.

Hunter's dad ushered us outside. "Dad, I'm not lying! You gotta believe me!" Hunter protested.

"Mr Sands, you have to listen to him. Jordan's in danger. Who are you going to believe; a woman you barely know or your own son?" I defended Hunter.

"Stop with this nonsense, you two" he remarked. Hunter and I ran off to find Jordan and Paulina ourselves, Mr Sands following. Hunter and I found a cave near the graveyard and followed the jagged walls to Paulina's lair. Jordan, in full werewolf form, was chained and struggling. Those chains shouldn't be able to hold a werewolf back; as long as it isn't silver, Jordan still has a fighting chance. "What the hell is that thing?" Mr Sands asked.

"That's your daughter. We tried to tell you" Hunter and I told him in unison.

Paulina caught us and had us chained in a certain order; Hunter, me and Mr Sands. "Hunter, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Charlie, I'm really sorry you got involved" he started to apologise to me and Hunter first.

"I got myself involved a long time ago" I assured him.

"Jordan, this shouldn't have happened to you.." Mr Sands apologised to Jordan.

"Hello! Paging Dr. Phil. Blech!" Paulina mocked, making a gagging gesture. She picked up her gun.

"Paulina. You can have the Manor, just leave the kids alone" Mr Sands pleaded.

"The rule is, my dear, I can't have the Manor as long as there's a living werewolf. Hence the word living!" she snapped at him.

I easily managed to slip my hands out of the bulky thick shackles and chains that were supposed to restrain me. Hunter saw this. "Charlie, what are you doing?" he whispered, sounding concerned and worried for me.

I devised a plan; distract Paulina while Jordan frees herself and escapes with Hunter and Mr Sands. _I'm sorry, Hunter. The plan's dangerous but better me than you. Until you transform, I'll do what I can. _"Getting even with Paulina. And saving you" I whispered back in the most confident tone I could muster. I got up. "Hey, Paulina. You owe me a fight" I yelled.

Paulina turned to me. We circled each other. "You do know it will be an unfair fight, Charlotte. Just like your dear mother and father" she bragged.

"They didn't know how to take you down, I do. Let's settle this" I challenged.

Paulina smirked, putting the gun down on the table. Perfect. "Challenge accepted" she remarked and leapt at me. I threw a punch at her, putting the plan to action. The fight had begun.

Hunter's POV:

Charlie was a really good fighter, despite that she was up against a vampire. Then again she had an advantage; she knew Paulina's weaknesses. _But Paulina knows hers too, Charlie's just a human girl after all._ The headache I had at Uncle Dragomir's grave this afternoon was back. _Don't just stand there, do something! You can't let Paulina hurt Charlie! _My thoughts told me. How the hell can I save her in this situation?

The fight barely even lasted five minutes; Paulina threw Charlie into the cave wall. Despite being bruised and bleeding, Charlie got up, turning to my sister. "Jordan, those chains are made of iron, they can't hurt you! Get your dad and Hunter out of here now!" she yelled. She charged at Paulina but the female vampire won by striking Charlie in the stomach, her nails making Charlie bleed and ripping the red fabric of her shirt. The force in Paulina's attack made her crunch forward in pain, holding her stomach in hopes that the bleeding would stop.

I suddenly realised that Charlie was trying to save us by creating a diversion! _NO! Charlie, what makes you think you can save us by letting Paulina kill you?! Uncle Dragomir wouldn't have wanted this! There MUST be something I can do to save you! Your life is just as important! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I CAN'T LOSE YOU?! _My headache became much worse. _ARGH! Stupid headache!_

Paulina grabbed Charlie by her throat, making it impossible for her to escape. "You lose. You are brave, just like your parents. But equally weak" she bragged. She pinned Charlie to the ground, crouching. "Since you won't keep still, you die first, Charlotte. Without your annoying little gene, the werewolves' last hope will die with you" she snarled.

Charlie managed to turn to me. Her hazel eyes were brimming with tears, blood streaming from her forehead, arms and stomach. She was so pale I could see the blue veins that ran underneath her skin. Seeing her like that killed me. "Hunter. Help me" she pleaded in a strained whisper. Paulina jerked Charlie's head with her hand, forcing her to face her.

I realised why my gut was telling me to save Charlie. _If anyone hurts her, they hurt me._ From the corner of my eye, I saw the full moon. I glared over at Paulina, who was about to kill Charlie. My eyes turned a yellowy-emerald, black fur grew from every pore in my skin, my form changed from human to part wolf, part human. My senses sharpened; I could hear, see and smell everything. _I can save you now, Charlie. I won't let them hurt you again._ "Leave her alone!" I yelled but it came out as a threatening snarl which no one could understand.

I managed to break free from the rusty iron chains. Dad, Jordan, Charlie and the vampires all turned to me. Paulina let go of Charlie's throat and straightened up, turning to me. "Let me guess, just turned 14?" she asked Dad.

Dad nodded. "Last month" he replied, gasping in disbelief at what had just happened.

_Well, it's not every day you learn that your own son happens to be a werewolf. _Charlie managed a small weak smile, she seemed far from surprised, more like relieved. _Oh right, this isn't the first time she's seen a werewolf transform. And I think she knew I was a werewolf, even before I did._

"Hunter. I knew it. I knew you were just like Dragomir" she whispered.

Charlie's POV:

I knew it! I knew Hunter was a bloodline werewolf! He had to be, it's in his blood! The chains that had been holding him back when he was in human form had broken into chunks after he transformed. _Did seeing that I needed him encourage that? Na, it was probably the full moon._ I had managed to drag myself away from Paulina.

Hunter crouched over me protectively, snarling at Paulina. _'Touch her and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do' _he threatened.

_He's doing what Dragomir did 4 years ago, protecting me. Only there's a difference in this situation._ I thought as my forehead brushed against Hunter's prickly black fur.

"Get him!" Paulina ordered, Hunter growled at the minions and they ran off. "Never hire locals" she muttered. Paulina then escaped.

I stood up and helped Hunter free Mr Sands, Jordan freed herself like Hunter did. "I'm so proud of you two. Hunter, you go kick some vampire butt. I'll take your sister to Madame Varcolac" he stated. Jordan and Hunter howled. "Jeez, that's annoying" he stated.

"That's because Madame V's last name translates as werewolf, Jordan's a werewolf via infection and Hunter is a werewolf by blood. They got it from their mother, who was Katrina Sands" I told him. I turned to Hunter. "Let's go" I whispered in his ear. We ran after Paulina and her minions.


	6. Charlie's connection to Hunter

Hunter and I ran after the vampires. Well, Hunter was running, since he was in werewolf form. I held onto him as he ran. "Try and herd them into the old warehouse by the cemetery, it's got heaps of wood; the wood impales and kills vampires. Ripping them apart works too. But you can also keep fighting them until sunrise" I told him. He raced through the cemetery. A waiting vampire leapt at me and managed to drag me off Hunter's back and pin me down. "Ow, that freaking hurt!" I cried.

Hunter quickly turned and flung the vampire off me with his immense strength, ripping it in half and saving me.I got up. Hunter looked at me. _'Maybe you shouldn't have come, Charlie. Get somewhere safe, I'll handle them' _his intense eyes seemed to say.

"No, Hunter. You'll need what I've learnt from Dragomir. You overprotective idiot" I refused. We resumed our pursuit to the warehouse. I let go of Hunter and went to go find any broken pieces of wood. Hunter had gotten the hang of his werewolf powers so he went to sniff out the vampires. They were here; their rotting stench filled the warehouse. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any wood I could use as a stake.

"AWRO!" An alarming howl echoed the warehouse. I knew who it was.

"Hunter!" I yelled, running to find him; two vampires were restraining him from fighting and Paulina was prepared to shoot him, her gun still containing the silver bullet she was originally going to kill Jordan with. I had to save him! "You got my parents and Dragomir..." I muttered. I ran and jumped so I was on Paulina's back. "YOU WON'T GET HUNTER!" I yelled, attempting to strangle her.

Paulina flung me off. "You little brat!" she snapped as I crashed into a wall and fell on my side. Thank god none of my organs collapsed.

Hunter got in front of me protectively and prepared to spring at Paulina. _'I warned you, now you'll pay with your own life!' _he growled.

Paulina saw this and mirrored Hunter's stance, smirking. "How sweet. I get to mess with the fates by killing Charlotte, you and your sister. It's a win-win for me" she teased.

Jordan appeared and lunged at Paulina. She looked almost like her human self but with hints that she was still a werewolf. She pinned Paulina to a coffin, like Paulina had pinned me down before Hunter's transformation. "Relax, Paulina. You'll only feel a slight pinch. Toodles" Jordan remarked, leaping out and walking away. Sunlight poured in and Paulina exploded. Hunter, who had transformed back, used his arm to protect my eyes from the brightness of the explosion. He also managed to shield his own.

We returned to the Manor. After Madame Varcolac tended to my wounds, she withdrew a bit of Hunter's blood – all part of reversing the werewolf curse. "LB-217. A bloodline werewolf" she remarked.

Hunter looked over at Jordan. "Thanks for coming back for me and Charlie" he said, smiling.

Jordan smiled back. "'The strength of the wolf is the pack', remember?" she replied. Madame Varcolac injected the werewolf cure (mixed with the sample of Hunter's blood) into Jordan's blood. She turned back to normal.

Hunter's POV:

Charlie got up and left the room. Instinctively, I went after her. By the time we were in the hall, I stopped her by grabbing her wrist, making her turn around. "Charlie, I'm sorry I scared you when I transformed last night. But it was the only way I could save you and my family" I admitted. The feeling I had last night when Paulina tried to hurt Charlie was protectiveness; like a wolf has over his mate and offspring.

Charlie blushed. "You didn't, Hunter. Thanks for saving me and for breaking my curse" she told me.

"How?" I asked.

Charlie twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "When you transformed, it showed you cared about me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love you, Hunter. I have ever since I met you. It sounds cheesy, I know but it's true" she replied.

I pinned Charlie to the wall and kissed her. Even though I had no experience, my instincts knew what to do. Charlie kissed me back, slipping her arms around my neck. Someone coughed. Charlie and I broke the kiss to see Varcolac staring at us. "Madame Varcolac!" we gasped. Cue the howl.

"It's alright, it was meant to be, after all" Madame Varcolac stated. Charlie and I looked at her, both of us confused. "Dragomir treated Charlie like family because she was always yours. That was why he saved her and was so protective of her. Werewolves recognise certain humans in that way, especially if that human is their soul-mate" Madame Varcolac told me then left us alone.

"That explains a lot" Charlie muttered. I looked down at her, still lost. "Everyone knew we were soul-mates, Hunter. It kinda fits as werewolves are like wolves and wolves mate for life" she explained. I smiled at her in agreement. "I'm guessing from that kiss, you feel the same way about me?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do" I replied, resting my forehead on hers. Then something occurred to me. "Did you know I was a bloodline werewolf, Charlie?" I asked.

Charlie nodded. "After you told me Dragomir was dead, I started thinking. The Ducovics have always been bloodline werewolves; all of them males who transformed at 14, like you, Hunter. Your mom and Jordan had the same gene. Dragomir left the Manor to your family because only a bloodline werewolf can carry on his legacy" she explained. "You're Dragomir's heir; as long as you're alive, there'll always be a Wolfsberg Beast" she told me.

I thought it over. "I may as well become the new Wolfsberg Beast, I guess it's my right" I decided.

Charlie's POV:

I smiled at Hunter. "Dragomir would be so proud of you. So would your mom. I definitely am" I admitted.

"Tonight's the Moonlight Mania, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've spent the festival here since Dragomir saved me. Why?" I told him.

"Come up to the mountain with me" he requested.

"What? Are you crazy?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I want you to come. That way, if a vampire tries to hurt you, I'll protect you" he replied.

"Hunter, I haven't been up there since I was 10. And that was when your uncle saved me" I told him.

"Then. Come. With. Me." he said, leaving a playful kiss on my face in between each word.

"Fine, I'll go with you. But I'm not counting it as a first date" I relented.

"Deal!" Hunter laughed.

That night, Hunter took me up to Mount Wolfsberg. He had transformed, since tonight was a night with the full moon. He ran until we were at the border between the woods and the mountain peak. He put me down, nuzzling my hair. "You can do it, Hunter. All you need to do stand at that peak and howl" I encouraged.

Hunter gently pressed his wolf nose on my forehead before he stalked up to the spot Dragomir would usually be when he sends the annual warning during the festival. Hunter's beautiful, noble but dominating howl echoed into the darkness over Wolfsberg. I knew Goran and I were spending the festival with the ones we loved; he was down in the square with Jordan, I was up here with Hunter.

Jordan's POV:

The townspeople were cheering when Hunter, in his werewolf form, appeared on the mountain's peak and howled. I felt proud of him, he's changed a lot since we came here. Well, so have I. But what changed my brother the most was when he fell in love with Charlie.

I turned to Goran. "Isn't it ironic that we're together and so are my brother and your cousin?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Any way, where are Hunter and Charlie?" he asked. He took the liberty of properly learning my brother's name.

"At the Manor. Charlie's staying over" I half-lied. It had been my idea that Charlie stays over because Hunter actually acts normal around her. Plus, it makes it easier in case Charlie needs him.

"Ok" he remarked, squeezing my hand affectionately.

Later, I returned to the Manor an hour after Hunter and Charlie had come back. They were in the living room, sitting together; Charlie was slightly on Hunter's lap. Hunter was back to his human form. It turns out he can control it easier than I could, since it was in his blood. Madame Varcolac had made hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. She was watching Hunter and Charlie, smiling. She really is fond of Charlie. We spent hours hearing the stories Charlie had either about Uncle Dragomir or the stories he told her, including the true story of Little Red Riding Hood who Charlie was nicknamed after. I could guess why.

"One time, Dragomir and I had the epic idea to combine random ingredients. But it ended up as an epic fail because neither of us knew why we were doing it. There was flour, salt and all that crap everywhere! Madame V was furious but she ended up joining in the fun" Charlie laughed as she told us about the time she and our Uncle tried their hand at cooking without Varcolac around.

Hunter was laughing as well. Either about the story or Charlie's reaction when he licked her cheek after a melted marshmallow stuck there. "That must've been fun! Boy, I wish I had been there!" he remarked.

"Want me to re-enact what happened in the kitchen?" Charlie suggested, standing up.

"Yeah!" Hunter agreed. He got up and he followed Charlie to the kitchen.

"Don't you dare!" Madame Varcolac demanded, going after them to stop them.

I looked at Dad. "Here we go again, same old Hunter" I chuckled. He smiled.


	7. Inheritance and Aftermath

Charlie's POV:

The next morning we were all sitting in Dragomir's main study, waiting for the lawyer to show up and discuss the Sands' inheritance. Madame Varcolac and I showed Hunter and Jordan a photo of Dragomir during his 'younger years'. Hunter was shocked to see that Dragomir looked a lot like him. "Er, why's there a picture of me?" he asked.

"That's Dragomir when he was our age" I told him.

"That was taken a month after his 14th birthday" Madame Varcolac remarked. She turned to Hunter and me. "I knew you were a bloodline werewolf since at Dragomir's grave. Only a werewolf could see the writing on his grave" she informed him.

Hunter looked over at me then back at Varcolac. "Can Charlie see it?" he asked.

"Ja, she can" Madame Varcolac replied, smiling.

Soon the lawyer came. "It's him, he's the one who brought the letter!" Hunter told his dad.

The lawyer explained that he was going to allow Varcolac to remain at the Manor. He handed a cheque to Hunter's dad. "Oh My God!" Mr Sands gasped.

"Whoa!" Jordan exclaimed when she saw how much the cheque was worth.

"I told you we were rich!" Hunter practically bragged to his father and his sister.

"That's from his invention" the lawyer explained.

"Of what?" Jordan asked.

"Karaoke" the lawyer replied.

Hunter and I started laughing. Then he realised something. "How did Rudyard Kipling know my Uncle?" he asked me.

"They fought together in the war that decided the fate of humankind. Kipling also based The Jungle Book on his experiences as a werewolf, that's why the main human character was raised by wolves" I explained.

"Makes sense" Jordan agreed.

Jordan's POV:

After a very interesting week at Wolfsberg Manor, we had to return to California the next day. We had to wait for hours until we could start to board the god damn plane. "Hunter, wait!" a familiar girl's voice cried.

Hunter turned around and almost lost balance when Charlie threw her arms around him. Luckily (thanks to his new werewolf abilities) Hunter managed to steady them both. "Charlie!" he gasped, hugging her back.

"I wasn't going to let you leave me behind without saying goodbye to you" Charlie mumbled into his neck, gripping his jacket tightly. It seemed as if she was desperate not to lose her protector; in a way, Hunter is – he saved her from vampires and he was furious when Paulina tried to hurt her the night he first transformed.

Hunter pulled back to look at her. "It's not goodbye, Charlie. It's a new beginning for us. We're soul-mates. We'll always find each other. And I'll always come back for the Festival" He reminded her.

"Do you pinky swear that we'll find each other again, Hunter Sands?" Charlie asked, extending her pinky.

"I pinky swear on it, Charlie" Hunter promised, lacing his pinky with hers. Before she left, Charlie quickly kissed Hunter. I laughed at his uncharacteristic blush. "Shut up" Hunter muttered.

Hunter wasn't the only one who changed. I returned to school with a new-found confidence. I was now very popular and worshipped by Ashley and Tiffany. Cort even asked me to this year's Homecoming Dance. Two weeks ago, I would've accepted but instead I said no. I walked over to sit with Ashley and Tiffany, relaying the details to them. "I already have a date" I remarked, peering around to see Goran standing in the doorway of the lunch queue. Did I mention he was here on an exchange program?

"The exchange student? Lucky!" Tiffany squealed. We saw Charlie walk over to Goran, talk to him about something and then she went to sit with Hunter. And his two weird friends.

"Who was the little girl?" Ashley asked.

"His cousin, Charlie. She's an exchange student for the ninth grade. Don't bother setting your younger brother up with her, she's already dating someone in her class" I explained to her.

"She must really like the colour red" Tiffany observed.

I immediately knew by that remark, Charlie was wearing a red blouse or something. She's like my little sister. Well, technically she will be when she and Hunter are older.

Hunter's POV:

I grinned when Charlie sat next to me. Just as I had promised, we found each other. We always will. My friends blinked. "Oh. Guys, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is James and Mitch" I introduced them to Charlie and vice-versa.

"Nice to meet you" Charlie remarked as she shook my two friends' hands.

"Do you believe in the supernatural?" James asked. He and Mitch didn't see my hand wrap around Charlie's waist. Of course Charlie was the only one who noticed.

"Duh! Of course I do. I've come across sights that confirm it" Charlie replied.

"Then we'll get along just fine" Mitch decided.

"Dude. Great way to talk to my girlfriend" I remarked sarcastically, rolling my eyes. James and Mitch both fell out of their seats the minute I said 'girlfriend' – to them, Hunter Sands never says anything to do with dating. "I'm not joking; I met her when I went to Wolfsberg" I told them. Charlie burst out laughing. Everyone still find it hard to believe that Charlie and I are together, even the teachers are impressed with us. "It'll take them forever to recover, they're both shocked and impressed" I joked, kissing her on the forehead.

Later that evening, we were hanging out at my house. Dad was getting ready for a date. He's dating human women now after the whole situation with Paulina being the vampire responsible for Uncle Dragomir's death and orphaning Charlie. I was having a thumb war with Charlie. Even though I was supernaturally stronger than her, she won every time. Mostly because I was staring at the knee length red dress and the denim jacket she was wearing with brown boots and white tights.

This was the first time I have ever seen her in a dress like that; It kinda suited her. I just wore a dark shirt, jeans, sneakers and a leather jacket. I was kinda glad she decided to wear a dress tonight since while dad's out on his date, Charlie and I were going to walk around the neighbourhood for our first date, the one she was counting. Though spending the Moonlight Mania festival with me was technically our first date. Even if she wasn't counting it, I was.

We both stood up. I cheekily pecked Charlie on the lips; I had to bend my head down quite a bit to kiss her since she was so frickin' short – even if she is my first girlfriend and my other half. Charlie deepened the kiss by gripping my jacket and tugging it towards her, igniting the sparks I felt every time I was with her. Not like I was complaining; I wrapped my arms around her waist.

Dad came downstairs just as Charlie and I pulled apart for air, he was ready. He told us that he had decided that me, Charlie and Jordan were allowed to come on the date with him. Charlie and I looked at each other. "Ah well, we can always do what we were gonna do tonight tomorrow" we remarked. We got in the car; Charlie and I sat together as always, Dad's new girlfriend was in shotgun and we drove off.

? POV:

I smirked when I watched David, his new girlfriend, his kids and that brat Charlie leave. If it weren't for this stupid body-cast, I would take vengeance on David's son and kill Charlie right now. Then I will rule the world. "The bitch is back" I darkly chuckled. I turned to the movers, who were humans. "Get everything inside, now! I have to be in the house before sunrise!" I yelled. But those bastards were nowhere near done.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

~Timeskip 23 years~

No one's POV:

"That can't be it, mom! There must be more than just that!" a red-haired teenage girl with dark, intense eyes stated.

"Of course there is, Amanda. Long story short: That vampire got cocky and paid the price at the hands of the werewolf. He and his soul-mate had the most amazing adventures of their young lives which followed through adulthood and parenthood, I think. Either way, they remained together because of the soul-mate principle. They were lucky to find each other young" the red-haired woman told her daughter with a confident smile. The woman's beautiful hazel eyes seemed to laugh knowingly at the story she had just told. As if she had purposely missed out an important factor that her daughter and son hadn't picked up on at all. Neither of the children realised the story was actually a 'How I met your father' story.

The little boy beside her reached over, pulling at his mother's long red curls. I say little but he was actually 12, he was definitely little compared to his sister and his father. He had his mother's eyes and looked exactly like his father. "Mom! Where did dad get to?" he asked her suddenly.

"He'll be home soon, Ryan. Why don't you and Amanda go check on Celine in case she's having nightmares again and then get yourselves to bed? You've both got school tomorrow" She replied.

"Mom, I'm 15 years old! I'm not a kid any more!" Amanda groaned.

"Neither am I. And I'm 12!" Ryan remarked in an irritated tone.

"Amanda Katrina Sands and Ryan Edward Sands, you do as you're told this minute!" their mother warned with fire in her eyes. When they saw the fire in her eyes, the teenage sister and the pre-teen brother had no choice but to check on their younger sister; their mother could be scary when provoked, if you hurt her children especially her youngest she would fight you with her bare hands.

Mind you, the children's father was much worse whenever _**he**_ was provoked. All you had to do to piss him off was either hurt any of his three kids or his wife. The kids knew this, even though they had never seen their father pissed off. Not like their mother had. They only knew what Auntie Jordan, their dad's older sister, told them of their father's temper.

"Jeez, Mom's so scary. Her mood swings are out of whack again" Amanda muttered.

"Yeah, she can be as crazy as shit" Ryan agreed.

Now if his parents were to ever hear Ryan swear, his father would clunk him on the head and demand where he had picked it up while his mother would ground him and then deal with who or what Ryan had picked the word up from. Ryan took after his father, the only trait of his mother's he had inherited were her eyes – which is why his father never stayed mad at him for long.

The mother, who turned out to be our dear friend Charlie made herself comfortable in the living room. "Only two more years until it's time to tell them. At least Hunter would be able to teach Ryan how to handle the curse" she sighed as she waited for her werewolf husband to return. Isn't it hard to believe that a gentle 14 year old girl like Charlie grew up to be the kind mother she is now?

Later the front door opened and a tall man with shaggy brown hair and intense dark eyes entered; it was Hunter Sands. Isn't it a surprise how a trouble-making 14 year old boy grew up to become a loyal, overprotective husband and father? He hung his leather jacket on one of the pegs by the front door before entering the living room. He softened at the sight of his red-haired wife asleep on the sofa. Again. "Typical of you, Charlie. Only you would wait up for me" he chuckled.

Hunter took a moment to watch Charlie sleep. She had grown into her small, wiry figure, her body shaped by a red summer dress. Her skin remained milky white, like it had been when they met. Her red curls cascaded over her face. Her hands lay by her head, her left finger sported the platinum (The engagement rings had to be platinum because silver would kill Hunter) and gold rings he gave her when they were engaged then married; she took his last name and became Charlie Sands. He was lucky he found her young. Not many people, let along a werewolf, find their soul-mates at all.

Slipping an arm under her legs and wrapping his other arm around her back, he lifted her and carried her up to their room. His sensitive ears easily picked up on his only son playing on his X-box, his eldest daughter on her phone to her best friend and his youngest daughter mumbling in her sleep, thankfully the little girl wasn't having any nightmares about evil vampires hunting down their family. How Hunter knew this, he could sense it. He often wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Hunter gently placed _his _Charlie on their bed. He lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her small frame. People often found it touching that he was very faithful to his wife and was very overprotective of his family; it annoyed Amanda and Ryan but Celine regarded it the way Charlie always did – that Hunter was trying to keep them safe.

Gingerly, Hunter felt the small noticeable scar on Charlie's neck. The mark he gave her when they first mated and claimed her. Which had led to having Amanda. Smiling at the memory, Hunter kissed the mark. What you may not know is that werewolf's mark symbolises that the soul-mate has been claimed and no mortal can harm them without alerting her werewolf. That means that if Charlie got hurt, Hunter would immediately know about it since he could hear his wife's thoughts and he would do everything possible to protect her.

Every one of their kids had inherited Hunter's werewolf curse; it would be stronger in his son than in his daughters but thanks to his wife's unusual genetics, it was enhanced to the point where Amanda and Celine Sands' senses were sharp but not like their brother's would be in adolescence and nothing like their father is now. Hunter had considered turning Charlie into a werewolf but decided against it. He loved Charlie the way she was and he never wanted her to suffer like he or his uncle had just by being bloodline werewolves.

"Hey, you're home" Charlie remarked as she opened her eyes and turned onto her back to look up at her husband.

"How did the gynaecologist's appointment go?" Hunter asked.

Charlie smiled. "It's a boy, Hunter. We're going to have a healthy baby boy" she told him.

Hunter put a hand on his wife's stomach. "Charlie. Do you think we're good parents?" he asked.

"I don't think we are good parents, Hunter, I know we are good parents. We have our natural instincts, those don't kick in until we become parents, we can sense what our family needs. Besides you keep forgetting, my dear husband, werewolves are naturally pack animals, like the wolf and, believe it or not, humans. Our family is our pack" Charlie reassured him.

"Good thing I have you" he replied.

"Oh, I told the kids our story. But I didn't tell them it was us. And I'm not going to tell them until a month after Ryan's 14th birthday, along with their werewolf heritage. Unless they work it out first from the story" she told him.

"Why his 14th birthday?" Hunter asked.

"That's the age you were when you first transformed, Hunter. The difference is that you can teach our son to handle having the werewolf curse that's in his blood. The same curse that run through yours. And we were 14 when we found each other" Charlie reminded him, patting his cheek before kissing it. "Now let's get some shut-eye" she sighed, shifting onto her side again.

Before going to sleep, Hunter kissed Charlie. His arms tightened around her, keeping her and his unborn son close. "Yep, I'm the luckiest man in the world" he chuckled.

In her room, Celine woke up; this time she dreamt her father had transformed into a werewolf and fought the vampires. "Celine Wendy Sands, what are you thinking? Those things don't exist" she told herself. But she had her doubts. She caught her reflection the mirror. The eight year old looked exactly like her mother. Celine wondered talking to her siblings about the nightmares. Amanda would've snapped at her for being silly. Ryan would've punched her.

Celine reached under her pillow and pulled out a photo. She had been rooting through her father's things when she found that photo. She had kept it ever since. The photo had three people in it; a brown-haired boy, a red-haired girl and a tall brown-haired girl. The boy had an arm around the red-haired girl who was grinning because he had kissed the side of her head. Their hands were interlaced. The red-haired girl was waving at the camera. The tall girl was watching the young couple with a smile. The red-haired girl had curly hair. The boy's smooth brown hair stuck out whereas the older girl had straight hair. They were sat on the steps of Wolfsberg Manor.

Celine knew it was her parents and her aunt when they were younger. "Mommy and daddy look so happy" she giggled. _They married and had me, Amanda and Ryan._ "Hmm, Daddy looks a lot like Ryan. I always wondered why Mommy always said that Ryan takes after Daddy" she mumbled. From the wonky angle, Celine guessed it was Goran, her mother's cousin who took the photo.

After she put the photo under her pillow, Celine got out of bed and wandered over to her parents' room. She quietly climbed on the mattress and squeezed in-between them to curl up. She woke her father. "Did you have a nightmare?" Hunter asked. Celine nodded. "Celine, it can't hurt you, I won't let it happen. Not to my family" he reassured her, calming her enough to lull her to sleep. Hunter then got back to sleep, holding Charlie and their daughter close to him.


End file.
